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Welcome to the April edition of the Office for Diversity Newsletter! This month’s edition is bursting with exciting new research and opportunities. We feature the collaborative research of Dr. Allegra Midgette, Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences of the College of Liberal Arts at Texas A&M University and an Accountability, Climate, Equity, and Scholarship (ACES) Faculty Fellow and Dr. Jocelyn Frelier, Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of International Studies of the College of Liberal Arts at Texas A&M University and an Accountability, Climate, Equity, and Scholarship (ACES) Faculty Fellow.
Read about Dr. Michael Thomson and his participation in Ramadan. Learn about the research of members of the Office for Diversity, whose research was presented at the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) Conference last month. Read about the Undergraduate Recruiting Initiatives, and take advantage of this wealth of opportunities to connect with the Texas A&M community!
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Asian-Pacific Islander Desi-American Heritage Month is celebrated in April at Texas A&M. View the Asian Presidents’ Council calendar for opportunities to engage. Graphic used with permission from the Asian Presidents’ Council.
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LETTER TO THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY
In Solidarity with the People of Ukraine
The Office for Diversity stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine as they fight to protect their independence from Russia. We offer our support to the members of the Aggie community and their families who have been impacted by this tragic display of aggression. Further, we join our colleagues across Texas A&M University in promoting a peaceful resolution to this conflict. Read the entire letter on our website.
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TEXAS A&M ACHIEVES FEDERAL DESIGNATION AS HSI
Texas A&M University has been designated an eligible institution by the U.S. Department of Education to be a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Read the Texas A&M Today, “Texas A&M University Achieves Federal Designation As Hispanic Serving Institution” to learn more about the achievement.
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Texas A&M University is a sponsor of the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE). Learn about registration and the Texas A&M discount.
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Dr. Jocelyn Frelier Dr. Allegra Midgette
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PRODUCING OUTSTANDING SCHOLARSHIPCare Work Research Collaboration
Dr. Jocelyn Frelier is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of International Studies of the College of Liberal Arts at Texas A&M University and an Accountability, Climate, Equity, and Scholarship (ACES) Faculty Fellow. Dr. Allegra Midgette is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences of the College of Liberal Arts at Texas A&M University and an ACES Faculty Fellow. We spoke to both Drs. Frelier and Midgette about their care work research and the inspiration for their care work ...
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ADVANCING CAMPUS CLIMATE AND EXCEPTIONAL SCHOLARSHIPEnhancing Diversity Seminar Series
The Enhancing Diversity Seminars are designed to engage the campus community in dialogue around topics and issues related to diversity, campus climate, equity, and inclusion. Students, faculty, staff, and community members are all welcome and encouraged to participate. The Spring 2022 seminars will be held virtually. Registration is open for April 20, 2022, 12:00 to 1:00 pm CT seminar. REGISTER
The presentation, "Ok, I Know Better. How Do I Do Better?": Applying Critical Consciousness in Higher Education While Simultaneously Holding the Roles of Student and Employee, will explore the dynamics of being both a doctoral student and an employee within higher education institutions.
The presentation will feature Rafael R. Almanzar, M.A., he/him, Director for Peer Mentoring & First Generation Student Success, Texas State University; Patrice French, Ph.D., she/her, Manager, Organization Development & Diversity Initiatives, Texas A&M University; Neil E. Golemo, MSEd., he/him, Director, Campus Living & Learning, Texas A&M University Galveston Campus; and Lauren E. Meyer, M.S., she/her, Student Organization Recognition Specialist, Department of Student Activities, Texas A&M University.
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ADVANCING CAMPUS CLIMATERamadan is a Time to Reflect
Dr. Michael Thomson is a professor of Soil and Crop Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University and a member of the Muslim Faculty Network. The Muslim Faculty Network of Texas A&M University advocates and provides a support network for the concerns and professional development needs of Muslim faculty and staff at Texas A&M University. We interviewed Dr. Thomson about Ramadan and what inspires his participation in the month-long fasting. Dr. Thomson said that...
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ADVANCING CAMPUS CLIMATE, AND ACCESSIBILITY
Providing Access in Student Organizations and Activities
Join the Center on Disability and Development (CDD) for their “Accessibility in Aggieland” webinar series. The purpose of this series is to promote proactive accessibility through inclusive practices and educate the campus community on the many different instructional settings where accessibility is important.
The April 20, 2022 session, Providing Access in Student Organizations and Activities, will feature Tracey Forman, Assistant Director of Disability Resources at Texas A&M University. The webinar will include strategies and resources for student leaders and advisors to consider when planning activities and programs that are facilitated by student organizations. The webinars are held via zoom and recorded as well as stored on the Center on Disability and Development website.
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April is observed as Sexual Assault Prevention & Awareness Month. Learn more about the 2022 awareness month events at Texas A&M University.
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PRODUCING OUTSTANDING SCHOLARSHIP
Dr. Grace Melo is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of International Studies of the College of Liberal Arts at Texas A&M University and an Accountability, Climate, Equity, and Scholarship (ACES) Faculty Fellow. Her areas of expertise include food policy and agricultural marketing. Dr. Melo and Dr. Luis Peña-Lévano, Assistant Professor in Agricultural Economics at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, are the authors of the journal article, Adaptation of Teaching Strategies During the COVID-19 Pandemic. This article presents teaching strategies used to modify two traditional face-to-face courses (Economics of Resource Use and International Agricultural Trade) and one synchronous online course with in-person review sessions (Quantitative Methods in Food and Resource Economics) into an entirely virtual setting.
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CONNECTING THOSE ADVANCING ACCOUNTABILITYMoving the Needle Towards a Diverse and Inclusive Student Population
Dr. C.J. Woods, Sr. Associate Vice President, Undergraduate Recruitment and Outreach, Division of Academic and Strategic Collaboration presented updates on the T&R Recruitment Efforts during the March Diversity Operations Committee (DOC) meeting. The new Undergraduate Recruitment and Outreach leadership are focused on increasing the number of students from underrepresented groups who apply to and enroll in undergraduate programs at Texas A&M University.
The Undergraduate Recruitment and Outreach leadership further includes Stephanie Burns, Director of Community Outreach and Inclusion, and Marcus Cooper, Executive Director, Undergraduate Recruitment and Outreach. As a team, they are working on improving targeted recruitment through new prospective student centers, visitor experience of prospective students, community outreach and inclusion, recruitment, marketing and communication, strategic partnerships, and scholarships and financial aid.
Multiple new initiatives both long-term and short-term have been put forward to move the needle towards recruiting a diverse and inclusive student population.
The Diversity Operations Committee (DOC) is a university-wide committee serving as an advisory body to the Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity. Each month, the DOC meets to discuss policies, operations, procedures, and all major plans for organizational change involving diversity, equity, and inclusion on our campus.
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PRODUCING OUTSTANDING SCHOLARSHIPFaculty Hiring Program Through Dual Pandemics
Dr. Robin R. Means Coleman, Dr. Annie McGowan, Dr. Jennifer McGee Reyes, and Dr. Omar Rivera shared their research presentation, titled “Anybody Can Run a Faculty Hiring Program: Lessons Learned Implementing a Faculty Hiring Program Through Dual Pandemics,” during the 2022 National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) Annual Conference. The authors shared lessons learned with the NADOHE community and collected recommendations to ensure the ongoing success of Texas A&M’s Accountability, Climate, Equity, and Scholarship (ACES) Faculty Fellows hiring program.
The session was about the impact of ACES and the challenges of implementing the program during the COVID-19 pandemic and pervasive systemic racism. ACES promotes the research, teaching, and scholarship of early career scholars with strength in, and evidence of, respect for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Key performance indicators included assessing the effectiveness of onboarding, mentoring, community-building, and promotion of ACES faculty. ACES Faculty Fellows are hired as Visiting Assistant Professors with the expectation of transitioning seamlessly to tenure-track within two years.
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- April 1-30: Autism Acceptance Month
- April 1:30: Sexual Assault & Prevention Awareness Month
- April 1-30: Celebrate Diversity Month
- April 1-30: TAMU recognition of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
- April 1-30: National Minority Health Month
- April 1-30: Earth Month 2022, Texas A&M Office of Sustainability
- April 1: Planetary Health and the Humanities Conference, Glasscock Center for Humanities Research
- April 2: World Autism Awareness Day
- April 2: Ramadan begins
- April 4: Student Climate Action and Empowerment Summit, Texas A&M Office of Sustainability
- April 6: Talk: The Care Work System as a Fundamental Cause of Economic Injustice, Office for Diversity, Glasscock Center for Humanities Research
- April 6: AAUW Start Smart Workshop, Women's Resource Center
- April 7: Veterans' Voices (weekly until May 5), Don & Ellie Knauss Veteran Resource & Support Center
- April 9: Lavender Graduation Celebration, LGBTQ+ Pride Center, Texas A&M
- April 9: ComUnidad, Council for Minority Student Affairs, Texas A&M
- April 10-16: National Student Employment Week, Texas A&M Student Employment Office
- April 14: Faith and Power - Latino Religious Politics Since 1945, Religious Studies Program
- April 14: 2022 Custodian Banquet, Aggie RV Lot, REACH Project
- April 15: Women and Decision Making in Post Conflict Reconstruction, The Gender Lensed Curricula for Development Group
- April 18: Draggieland 2022, oSTEM, LGBTQ Aggies, MUA Aggies, and Transcend
- April 18: Intersections of Equity and Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education, Texas A&M Organization Development & Diversity Initiatives
- April 19: Von's Vision
- April 20: "Ok, I Know Better. How Do I Do Better?": Applying Critical Consciousness in Higher Education While Simultaneously Holding the Roles of Student and Employee, Texas A&M Office for Diversity
- April 20: Providing Access in Student Organizations and Activities, Accessibility in Aggieland Webinar Series
- April 21: How has the Pandemic Affected how you Think About Your Humanities Research?, Glasscock Center for Humanities Research
- April 22: Earth Day
- April 22-23: Leadership Education for APIDA Development (LEAD) Conference, Texas A&M Asian Presidents' Council
- April 26: Shen Yun 2022: A Heavenly Gift, Texas A&M Rudder Auditorium
- April 27: Demin Day
Send May events to Crystal Carter at c.carter@tamu.edu by April 30 for consideration in the May newsletter.
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Texas A&M has issued COVID-19 guidance to enhance the safety of those returning to campus. Free testing is available for all students, faculty, and staff who have symptoms or have been in close contact with known or suspected cases. The tests provided through this program are mouth swab tests that do not require assistance. More information can be found at the Student Health Services website.
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Texas A&M University
Office for Diversity
Jack K. Williams Administration Building
1360 TAMU
College Station, Texas 77843-1360
Phone: (979) 458-2905
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